The Writing Diary of M Brace DeFreak

Peter Mathieson paints words onto paper (Sample from Far Tortuga). I’m studying how to add white space to my novel. My first attempt changed the tone. Adding dialog added white space, but lightened the mood too much. Matthiessen used white space with special intent. Mathieson talks about his use in an interview byGeorge Plimpton in The Paris Review titled, “The Craft of Fiction in Far Tortuga.” Poets often paint words, but a novel needs a different brush.

My second attempt at adding white space worked much better, but still need to learn from more practiced authors. What looks good in Microsoft Word; may not, in ePub.So much to learn, too little brain to handle it all. I try to tackle one editing issue at a time, but I add a few smaller tasks to the bigger.